Marketers should capitalize on Nostalgia

Not long ago, I read an article about a certain electronics company that started manufacturing 1980s style tape decks. And guess what? These sold like hot cakes. Everybody likes to attend retro theme parties — 60s, 70s or 80s — dressed like their favourite film stars or musicians of yesteryear. I recently visited my boarding school in Darjeeling after 33 years and cherished every moment there — took lots of photos, met teachers and alumni. And it is always a pleasure to listen to an old Kishore Kumar or Jim Reeves song (they don’t make music like that anymore). In all these cases we are overwhelmed by Nostalgia.

Theme restaurants? Posters and merchandise from old films? Theme parties?

I’ll buy it, if it’s 1980s.

Visited any of the Universal Studios lately? You’ll find entire sections dedicated to comic book characters or certain Hollywood films and Hollywood stars. Tickets are selling well — season or not.

There is something about nostalgia — it brings back old memories. It’s like living your past.

So when I visited my school in Darjeeling it bought back some good memories and I felt top of the world. That’s good therapy — I am much more relaxed and happy than I was two weeks ago! I sleep better these days.

Everybody loves (and pays for) nostalgia. And it is a huge opportunity for marketers.

Make me a toy or gadget that I loved during my college or school days and I’ll buy an armload of them — I’ll take five please, one in each colour.

It’s not surprising that there are remakes and sequels of old movies.

Watch out for the latest Star Wars film releasing this Christmas — which has the cast of the first three episodes, dating back to 1976. Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamilton have aged a lot since the 70s. But I will still watch the film, just to see the original cast again.

Marketers take note. Please bring back some of the old products that we used to buy during our youth.

Brian Pereira is an Indian journalist based in Mumbai. He has 25 years of technology journalism experience, and he's well known in the Indian IT industry. He is the former Editor of CHIP and InformationWeek magazines in India and has written technology articles for India's leading newspapers groups such as The Times of India and Indian Express Newspapers. Brian also writes on Aviation, startups and covers topics directed at small and medium businesses.
He also has event experience and once put together the conference program for CeBIT and INTEROP events in India.
Email: brian@digitalcreed.in
Twitter: @brian9p
Linkedin: https://in.linkedin.com/in/pereirabrian